Defense still Irish spring football question mark

April 19, 2007|ERIC HANSEN Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- Bill Lewis spoke Wednesday about seeing the big picture, and he wasn't referring to the distorted, fuzzy camera-phone shots of Jimmy Clausen taken from the stands, which figure to be popular at Saturday's Blue-Gold Game. For as gaga is the media is about Clausen and the quarterback competition, as fun as it will be to see freshman running back Armando Allen unleashed for the first time, as thrilling as Sam Young's first public pancake block of 2007 will be ... John Carlson's first deep route ... David Grimes' first one-handed grab, defense is what has burped up most of the questions and doubts during the Charlie Weis coaching regime. And it's defense that still has the most unknowns as spring practice closes Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. "We have work to do," surmised new defensive coordinator Corwin Brown. "We're not satisfied, but there has been some progress. We just wish that spring could just almost go on forever." The smile of Lewis, ND's secondary coach, contradicts Brown's assessment, making it seem, well, Lou Holtz-ian. So does the not-so-quiet confidence of senior cornerback Terrail Lambert, once a speedy prospect who couldn't catch up to the nuances of his position, now a leader in the rebuilt secondary. Actually, Lambert and his defensive backfield mates had the fewest X's-and-O's adjustments in Brown's new 3-4 personnel scheme. Instead theirs was a heavy dose of fundamentals, an infusion of higher expectations, an in-your-face toughness that's filtered down from the new boss on defense. And yes, learning and living the big picture. "The bottom line is, I don't think I'd be here if I weren't trying to get to the next level," Lambert said. "And (Brown) just came from the next level (the NFL), so I'm trying to listen to whatever he has to say as a coach. The guy knows what he's talking about." For Lambert, the fastest player on the Irish team, it shows up in even the most mundane of drills. "Coach Brown always harps on the fact we're creatures of habit, especially defensive backs," Lambert said. "You can't practice one way and then flip the switch and play another." Lambert, for one, grew tired of seeing the Irish secondary on the wrong side of the ESPN SportsCenter moments. So he decided to do something about it. His goals this spring were to become more sound on a consistent basis and to make the players around him better. "When I look around, the best players who have come out of this program were able to do that," he said. That means his job Saturday will be, in large part, to make Clausen and the other quarterbacks look like cheap knockoffs of Brady Quinn. "I'm a real believer in this new defense," Lambert said. "Coach Weis likes to say tradition never graduates, but it's also a tradition that times do change. I think everybody's going to see the change is this defense is a change for the better." Recruiting update It was almost a year ago that Notre Dame received a verbal commitment from Clausen, a heralded quarterback from California. Could the Irish soon be receiving a commitment from another highly regarded California signal-caller, this time Dayne Crist of Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks? We'll know today, when Crist makes his college choice known, and it appears that the Irish are about to land yet another standout. "My gut feeling is he's going announce for Notre Dame," CSTV recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said Wednesday night. The 6-foot-5, 221-pound Crist, a teammate of linebacker Anthony McDonald and the most recent player to commit to ND's recruiting class of 2008, visited South Bend unofficially last week, along with McDonald. "(Crist) had a great time last week," Lemming said, "and the announcement is coming on the heels of that great time." Lemming rates Crist as the top passing quarterback in the country. He holds offers from a number of other schools, including USC, Michigan, LSU, Florida State and Nebraska. The recruiting momentum may not end with Crist. Two players expected to visit for Saturday's Blue-Gold Game, defensive end Darius Fleming of Chicago (St. Rita) and nose tackle Brandon Newman of Louisville, Ky., (Pleasure Ridge Park), appear to be leaning ND's way. "There's a chance that they could announce for Notre Dame this weekend," Lemming said. Notre Dame has received seven verbal commitments for its recruiting class of 2008. Weis cannot comment publicly on a recruit until the player signs a national letter-of-intent. Signing day is Feb. 6. Other top prospects included on Saturday's guest list include Brice Butler, a wide receiver from Norcross, Ga.; Jamoris Slaughter, a wide receiver/defensive back from Stone Mountain, Ga.; Andrew Sweat, a linebacker from Washington, Pa.; Art Forst, an offensive lineman from Manasquan, N.J.; and Hafis Williams, a defensive lineman from Elizabeth, N.J. Previously committed recruits defense end Sean Cwynar, offensive lineman Mike Golic Jr., offensive lineman Braxston Cave, wide receiver John Goodman and tight end Kyle Rudolph will also be on hand. "In terms of the talent on hand, it's like a who's who (of high school All-Americans)," Lemming said. For starters Clausen and sophomore Zach Frazer won the coin tosses and will be the starting quarterbacks for the Blue and Gold teams, respectively, in Saturday's Blue-Gold Game at ND Stadium. Sophomore Demetrius Jones will alternate series with Clausen, while junior Evan Sharpley will do the same with Frazer. No Bragg-ing rights Senior Darrin Bragg never did get a chance to play quarterback for Notre Dame. Now it appears the 6-foot-1, 192-pounder from San Jose, Calif., won't ever play wide receiver, either. ND officials confirmed Wednesday that Bragg has left the team. Bragg did not return messages left for him Wednesday. Bragg's departure is significant in that he is the 11th member of what was originally a 17-man recruiting class to leave the program. Of the six remaining seniors, only backup running back Junior Jabbie is an offensive player. The other survivors from former Tyrone Willingham's final recruiting class are cornerback Terrail Lambert, linebacker Maurice Crum, defensive end Justin Brown, linebacker Anthony Vernaglia and cornerback Leo Ferrine. Staff writer Bob Wieneke contributed to this story. Staff writer Eric Hansen: ehansen@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6470